


Among Love and Hate and Hope

by PatchworkIdeas



Series: WinterFRE 2020 [16]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Merpeople, Near Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22865197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatchworkIdeas/pseuds/PatchworkIdeas
Summary: Kili’s voice was colder than any had ever heard it before. He was known as a jovial man, always kind and friendly and fast with smiles and laughter – but his whole being screamed murder at the brutality he was seeing in front of him now.
Relationships: Fíli/Kíli (Tolkien)
Series: WinterFRE 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604650
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34
Collections: GatheringFiKi - Winter FRE 2020





	Among Love and Hate and Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Prompt Nr.35:  
> The merman had been tied up, beaten bloody and by now was only weakly spasming against the cage.

“How _dare_ you?”

Kili’s voice was colder than any had ever heard it before. He was known as a jovial man, always kind and friendly and fast with smiles and laughter – but his whole being screamed murder at the brutality he was seeing in front of him now.

If they had thought him soft before, they would learn to reconsider. 

If they lived that long.

The caught merman was a sorry sight – he had been tied up, beaten bloody and by now was only weakly spasming against the cage.

If he died, so would they.

Kili mostly ignored the commotion, only paying enough attention to occasionally snap out for people to hurry, or to demand another bandage.  
He wasn’t a doctor, but first aid was better then none.

When the doctor finally did arrive, he made sure to make his friend as comfortable as possible, resting Fili’s head in his lap and holding his hand tight, whispering assurances he didn’t feel while the doctor tried to tend to the mermans bloody and myriad wounds. The wheezing breath was both painful to listen to and the best sound Kili had ever heard.

Death was too kind a fate for those bastards.

Every idiot who ever sailed these seas knew that the merpeople were to be left alone, protected by law and the king himself.  
It was this alliance that had allowed their island state to flourish as it did.  
It was a bit more than just an alliance this generation.

As a tiny prince, barely able to walk, Kili had been taken to the hidden chamber deep under the castle. The round room was taken up almost completely with the unnaturally round pool in it’s center. Nowhere else would you find water as clear or as deep and a mesmerizing glow shone from within, illuminating the otherwise dark room.  
Despite the obvious magic and the splendor he would only notice over time, he only had eyes for the being waiting inside the water.  
Prince Fili was not much older than he, but he was a sight to behold, all golden hair and shimmering scales and eyes bluer than the seas.  
The Mermaid Queen holding the little prince’s hand might have been beautiful – but nothing could have drawn Kili's eyes away from the other prince, who seemed just as mesmerized by him.

That hadn’t changed as they grew.

Their parents had been delighted they got along so well – it boded well for another generation of peace and prosperity for them all.

They hadn’t expected just how well the two princes would get along.

The impressive chamber was good for more than just a beautiful and safe meeting space – something in the water allowed change. Fili had learned to walk alongside Kili, eventually exploring the mountains and valleys of their isle and getting in all sorts of trouble with him. In return he had taught Kili to swim with a tail, navigating the alien but beautiful world beneath the waves.  
They were all but inseparable, growing up together like none before them had.

But of course, with age came responsibility. And as princes, they had their part to play, and the intricacies of their own kingdoms to learn.

It was this duty that had Fili swimming on the furthest reaches of their territory, visiting one of the outer underwater cities. There had been some rumors about mermaids going missing and some speculation if some of the wild outlanders were at it again, trying to bolster their own numbers.  
They were both skilled diplomats, but bringing a non native Mer to a possible meeting with the proud Wildlings was a terrible idea.

Except it hadn’t been the Wildlings.

‘Fucking Poachers’ Kili thought, trying to keep his voice and reassurances calm and soothing despite his anger towards the horrible example of a human that was this captain, demanding he was on free seas and that they return his “catch” to him.  
His crew seemed smarter, fearfully keeping their mouth shut and looking from Kili to the merman and back with rising horror.

Kili didn’t know if that was because it slowly dawned on them they had almost murdered (almost, it would be almost, Fili's fins would regrow and his wounds close, they just had to hold on until Kili could get him into the pool) the heirs fiance or because the way he held him close just screamed his affection to the world.

Either way, they would be punished.

Though he was tempted to keelhaul the darn captain on the way back if he didn’t shut his mouth soon.  
(He would have done it himself, without hesitation and with a grim satisfaction that none would have thought him capable of, if counting heartbeats and breaths and begging Fili to hold on just a little longer wasn’t so much more important than revenge would ever be.)

It was the longest journey of Kili’s life, but Fili kept breathing, kept squeezing his hand even if he lacked the strength for more.  
Kili used the endless hours to debate and plan, because it was clear that Fili needed help, needed the magic powers of their pool, but how would he get him there? Fili wasn’t strong enough to swim – and even if he were, he couldn’t with his fins removed, leaving him a cripple in the water.  
And that was without even considering the pain of salt water on still open wounds.  
Yet, the hidden tunnel to the underground chamber was too small, just big enough for a grown man but nowhere big enough for an unchanged Mer, much less the people needed to carry him!

In the end, as much as he hated it, the choice was taken out of his hands.  
Queen of the Seas Dis broke through the waves shortly before they expected to see land, desperate and furious at the fate that had befallen her son.

And Kili had to let him go. 

He helped gently lower Fili into the water and begged to be allowed by his side, but Dis was adamant - and right. Kili would slow them down, would be responsible for Fili’s death if he didn’t let go, gave him into capable hands, and Kili hated it, but he let it happen none the less.

He watched the bloodstained waters for a long time, until the red dissipated and only the seas chopping waves remained.

The captain had gone quiet. It didn’t help him escape Kili’s vengeful attention.

-

Breathing hard, Kili took two steps at a time, hurtling down the narrow staircase into the depth of the castle. He had jumped off the ship as soon as it slowed in preparation for docking, knowing he would be faster on his own.  
The screams of his own crew at his sudden departure were irrelevant in comparison to the need to see, to know, to hold Fili safe and sound and breathing and alive.  
He swam. He ran. He jumped and hurtled, taking every short cut, anything that could save him even seconds, for once not caring who he inconvenienced as long as he could _be there_.

Kili tried to keep the thoughts at bay – what if Fili wasn't there?  
What if he hadn’t made it?  
What if the Mers decided he couldn’t be trusted with their prince anymore, when it were members of his own species who had hurt him so in the first place?  
What if Fili couldn’t look at him anymore without remembering?  
What if-

Kili ran faster, ever faster, towards answers and in a hopeless escape from questions he didn’t want to have.

-

The pool was empty.

Kili’s heart stopped.

The room was not.

In his haste, Kili barreled into the chamber, ready to jump into the pool, to hug Fili if he had been there or to turn and swim and beg for forgiveness, beg to see him, beg for who knows what if only he could be by Fili’s side again.

The familiar voice behind him caused him to trip just before his jump and instead stumble headfirst and uncontrolled into the magical water.  
He came back up with a gasp and a stutter, using his own tail to turn around and propel him back into the direction he came from, back to shore, where Fili was waiting for him, just beside the door, legs stretched before him, weakly chuckling at Kili's spectacular fall.  
Kili lifted himself out and crawled the short distance to where Fili sat, too preoccupied with just getting to him to gather the concentration and will to change back. 

Instead he curled his long tail around Fili's now smaller human body as much as he could, enveloping him and pulling him close with his arms at the same time. With frantic hands and eyes he looked his love over, knowing the power of the pool but needing to see it for himself, needing to be _sure._

And Fili indulged him, shushed and chuckled at him, soothing him with reassurances much like Kili had done not long before, accepting Kili’s need to touch and kiss and examine every spot that had been hurt before.

There would be hell to pay for everyone involved soon, a harsh lesson and example made of any who dared to hunt a merperson. But for now, they stayed like that, curled around each other, tired and exhausted – but together and alive.


End file.
